UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

THE  SLOSS  COLLECTION  ()K  THE  SEMITIC  LIBKAKV 
OF  THE  UXIVEKSITV  OF  CALIFORMA. 

GIFT  OF 

LOUIS  SLOSS. 

February.  1897. 

Accession  A^o.V^S'^^^.     Cla$s  No. 

c^^ 


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nay  h'DU^'  n:n 


AN 


EXPOSITION 


OF 


ISAIAH    LII   13   14   15  and   LIII 


DELIVEJIED  BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  SENATE 


LAW    SCHOOL 
OJ^  FRIDAY,  APRIL  28,  1882, 


or  TH? 

UNiVERSrT 


BY 


S.   M.   SCHILLER-SZINESSY,   M.A.,  Ph.D., 

READER    IN    RABBINIC   AND   TALMUDIC   LITERATURE    IN   THE    UNIVERSITY   Ot 

CAMBRIDGE;     FORMERLY   PROFESSOR    PUBLICUS   EXTRAORDINARIUS    OF 

HEBREW  AND   ARCHEOLOGY   IN    THE    LUTHERAN   COLLEGE    OF 

EPERJES,    AND    SUBSEQUENTLY   RABBI   OF   THE    UNITED 

CONGREGATION   OF    MANCHESTER. 


PRINTED  BY  REQUEST. 


CAMBRIDGE : 

DEIGHTON,  BELL,  AND  CO. 

LONDON:  GEOBGE  BELL  AND  SONS. 

1882. 


AN 

EXPOSITION 

OF 

ISAIAH    LII    13    14   15   and   LIII 
DELIVERED  BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  SENATE 

IN    THE 

LAW    SCHOOL 
OJSr  FRIDAY,  APRIL  28,  1882, 


BY 


S.   M.   SCHILLER-SZINESSY,   M.A.,   Ph.D., 

n 
READER    IN    RABBINIC   AND   TALMUDIC   LITERATURE   IN   THE    UNIVERSITY    OF 

CAMBRIDGE;    FORMERLY   PROFESSOR   PUBLICUS   EXTRAORDINARIUS   OF 

HEBREW   AND   ARCHEOLOGY   IN   THE    LUTHERAN    COLLEGE    OF 

EPERJES,    AND   SUBSEQUENTLY   RABBI   OF   THE    UNITED 

CONGREGATION   OF   MANCHESTER. 


PRINTED  BY  REQUEST. 


CAMBRIDGE : 

DEIGHTON,  BELL,  AND  CO. 

LONDON:  GEOEGE  BELL  AND  SONS. 

1882. 


^<;l^'^ 

f^^^ 


-itj'N  nn  nv-i^  p     :  ^2^6  nrh)  v^th  nt  jriDi  nn^Dvni  m^^ini  pxn 


J 


TO   THE   EIGHT   WORSHIPFUL 
THE   VICE-CHANCELLOR 

THE  REVEREND  JAMES  PORTER,  D.D., 

MASTER  OF  PETERHOUSE, 

THE   COLLEGE   WHICH  BEARS   THE   NAME   OF 

THE   GREAT  APOSTLE    TO    THE    HEBREWS, 

THIS  DISSERTATION  ON  THE  MOST  GLORIOUS  HEBREW  PROPHECY 

IS  BY  PERMISSION  DEDICATED 

WITH  RESPECT  AND   GRATITUDE 

BY    A    HEBREW    OF    THE    HEBREWS. 


158982 


Mr  Vice-Chancellor  and  Gentlemen, 

The  prophet,  one  of  whose  predictions  I  am  to  expound  to 
you  this  day,  is,  in  a  certain  sense,  the  greatest  of  all  the  seers 
of  Israel.  If  'there  arose  not  a  prophet  since  in  Israel  like 
unto  Moses,  whom  the  Eternal  knew  face  to  face^'  as  the 
Hebrew  Scriptures  have  it,  we  must  not  forget  that  the  selfsame 
Scriptures  immediately  add  the  qualifying  words :  'as  regards 
all  the  signs  and  the  wonders  which  the  Eternal  had  sent  him  to 
do  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  Pharaoh  and  to  all  his  servants  and 
to  all  his  land,  and  as  regards  all  that  mighty  hand  and  all  the 
great  terror  which  Moses  wrought  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel  I' 
Moses  was,  indeed,  the  greatest  prophet  that  arose  in  Israel /or 
Israel ;  but  Isaiah,  although  he  also  arose  in  Israel  for  Israel, 
did  not  arise  for  Israel  exclusively.  For  this  is  what  he  says 
of  himself  and  his  mission :  and  He  (God)  said :  '  It  is  a  light 
matter  that  thou  shouldest  be  my  servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes 
of  Jacob,  and  to  bring  back  the  captives  of  Israel :  I  will  also 
give  thee  for  a  light  unto  the  nations,  to  become  my  salvation 
to  the  end  of  the  earth ^.'  If  Isaiah  did  not,  and  indeed  could 
not,  say  anything  opposed,  or  even  unknown,  to  Moses,  seeing 
that '  Moses  was  faithful  in  the  whole  house  of  God*,'  he  could, 
and,  in  fact  did,  bring  out  more  plainly  that  which  was 
well  known  to,  and  by  insertion  in  the  Pentateuch  officially 
sanctioned  although  not  further  dilated  on  by,  Moses:  that 
there   should   one   day   a   star  come   forth  from  Jacob  and  a 

1  Deut.  xxxiv.  10.  2  Deut.  xxxiv.  11,  12. 

2  Isaiah  xlix.  6.  *  Numb.  xii.  7. 


2 

c 

sceptre  rise  from  Israel,  that  would  smite  the  nobles  of  Moab 
and  violently  shake  all  the  children  of  Sheth\  that  is,  that  would 
move  all  heathendom  to  its  foundations.  But  if  Moses,  of  un- 
circumcised  lips^  had  to  teach  for  the  first  time,  to  his  people 
that  God  was  not  only  omnipotent  and  perfectly  wise,  but  also 
eternal  and  above  all  holi/,  and  that  Israel,  because  of  his  being 
His  firstborn,  must  also  be  holy^, — a  truth  without  which  aU 
virtue  and  morality  can  only  be  sporadic — Isaiah,  whose  lips 
had,  as  it  were,  become  circumcised,  by  the  touch  of  the  holy 
fire  from  the  altar*,  was  cbosen  to  make  known  the  thrice-holy 
God  ^  to  his  own  people  and  by  that  people  to  the  Gentiles.  He 
was  chosen  to  teach  these  Gentiles,  that  they  indeed  could  enter 
Jerusalem  the  holy,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  thrice-holy  God 
dwelt,  but  not  as  long  as  they  were  uncircumcised,  that  is, 
unclean,  in  hearth  He  had  to  teach  them  that  they  must  be 
sanctified  first  before  they  could  claim  communion  with  God's 
own  saints.  If  Moses,  in  the  name  of  God,  had  to  proclaim  to 
Israel,  as  a  duty :  '  and  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests 
and  a  holy  nation  V  Isaiah  had  the  privilege  of  proclaiming  as  a 
promise :  '  and  ye  shall  be  called  priests  of  the  Eternal,  ye  shall 
be  named  ministers  of  our  Godl'  Isaiah  had  the  privilege  of 
addressing  to  his  people  the  soul-stirring  words  :  'Arise  !  shine  ! 
for  thy  light  hath  come  and  the  glory  of  the  Eternal  hath  risen 
upon  thee.  For,  behold,  darkness  covereth  the  earth  and  thick 
darkness  the  nations,  whilst  upon  thee  is  risen  the  Eternal  and 
His  glory  is  seen  upon  thee.  But  nations  shall  walk  by  thy 
light  and  kings  by  the  splendour  of  thy  shining^! '  And  again : 
'  Many  nations  shall  go  and  say.  Come  and  let  us  go  up  to  the 
mountain  of  the  Eternal,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob,  that 
He  may  teach  us  some^^  of  His  ways,  that  we  may  walk  in  His 
highways"!'  Now,  no  doubt,  there  is  one  in  Israel  greater  than 
Moses  and  greater  than  Isaiah ;  one  whose  office  it  is  to  proclaim 
this  priestship  of  Israel,  and  this  sanctification  of  the  Gentiles 
not  only  as  a  duty  and  not  only  as  a  promise,  but  as  a  fact — he 

1  Numb.  xxiv.  17.  ^  Exod.  vi.  30.  ^  Lev.  xix.  2. 

4  Isaiah  vi.  6,  7.  ^  Isaiah  vi.  3.  ^  Isaiah  lii.  1. 

7  Exod.  xix.  6.  8  Isaiah  Ixi.  6.  ^  Isaiah  Ix.  1,  2,  3. 

10  VD"<1» ;  comp.  Acts  xv.  20,  29.  ^^  Isaiah  ii.  3. 


is  none  other  than  Messiah  the  son  of  David,  the  Anointed  of 
the  Lord.  But  of  him  anon.  Let  me  conclude  this  comparison 
between  Moses  and  Isaiah  by  adding  one  more  touch  to  the 
picture.  Moses,  like  other  prophets,  as,  for  instance,  Jonah  and 
Jeremiah^,  went  forth  in  God's  service,  but  only  reluctantly^; 
he  had  to  be  forced  by  the  Spirit  to  do  his  duty :  Isaiah,  on  the 
other  hand,  went  willingly  and  prepared  for  all  sacrifices.  When 
he  heard  the  voice  of  the  Eternal :  '  whom  shall  I  send  and  who 
wiU  go  for  us  ?'  he,  at  once,  exclaimed  :  '  Here  am  I,  send  me'!* 
And  again :  *  The  Lord  God  hath  given  me  an  instructive 
tongue,  understanding  the  teaching  of  the  word  to  the  weary ; 
morning  by  morning  He  wakeneth  mine  ear  to  hear  according 
to  the  instructions.  The  Lord  God  hath  opened  mine  ear  and 
^  I  was  not  rebellious,  I  turned  not  back.  I  gave  my  back  to 
the  smiters  and  my  cheeks  to  them  that  pluck  oflf  the  hair.  I 
hid  not  my  face  from  shame  and  spitting.  But  the  Lord  God 
will  help  me  ;  therefore,  shall  I  not  become  confounded :  there- 
fore have  I  s6t  my  face  like  a  flint  and  I  know  that  I  shall  not 
be  ashamed*.'  But  if  Isaiah  excelled  in  some  points  even 
'  the  father  of  wisdom  and  the  father  of  the  prophets '  as 
Moses  is  called ^  shall  we  hesitate  to  say  that  he  excelled  in 
more  points  still  'the  teacher  of  the  prophets^'  as  Samuel  is 
called  ?  Who  has  ever  compared  these  two  without  ascribing, 
indeed,  disinterestedness,  patriotism  and  some  miraculous  acts 
to  Samuel,  but  breadth  of  view,  fervour  of  sentiment,  beauty  of 
diction  and  a  noble  self-sacrifice  to  Isaiah?  And  if  he  be 
in  some  points  greater  than  Moses,  and  even  in  more  points 
greater  than  Samuel — the  two  men  placed  on  a  level  by  the 
Psalmist'' — shall  we  hesitate  to  award  to  Isaiah  the  palm  of 
excellency  over  all  the  other  prophets  of  Israel  ?  It  is,  in- 
deed, a  true  characteristic  of  all  Israelite  prophets  that  they 
were  pre-eminently  men  who  jeopardised  their  personal  safety 
for  their  prophetic  office,  that  they  vehemently  denounced 
sin  wherever  they  discovered  it,  whether  in  the  humble  hut 

1  Jonah  i.  3 ;  iii.  3.     Jerem.  i.  6 ;  xx.  9. 

2  Exod.  iv.  1,  10 ;  vi.  12.  ^  Isaiah  vi.  8.  ^  Isaiah  1.  4-7. 

5  Tanna  debe  EUyyahu,  Babbah,  cap.  vi.  ^  Midrash  Shemuel,  cap.  xxiv. 

7  Psalm  xcix.  6;  T.  B.  Ta'anith  o''. 

1—2 


of  the  peasant,  or  in  the  proud  palace  of  the  king.  But  if  they 
were  fearless,  Isaiah  was  fearlessness  itself  And  as  regards  their 
prophecies :  the  conceptions  of  all  of  them  are  grand  and  the 
execution  of  these  conceptions  is  lofty;  but  if  their  thoughts 
and  their  diction  are  noble,  Isaiah's  are  simply  sublime ! 
Isaiah !  What  would  Israel,  what  would  Christendom  (if  the 
existence  of  Christianity  could  be  imagined  without  Isaiah) 
what  would  the  world  have  been  without  him  ?  Certainly 
not  Messianic.  True,  Isaiah  is  not  the  only,  nor  the  earliest 
Messianic  prophet :  the  Messianic  idea  goes  on  from  Moses  the 
first,  to  Malachi  the  last,  prophet.  It  is  the  golden  thread  which 
runs  through  all  the  books  of  the  Bible.  But  Isaiah  is  the" 
best,  the  clearest,  the  most  enlightened  and  the  most  enthusi- 
astic of  its  expounders.  The  Messiah,  in  whom  other  prophets 
saw  a  mere  mighty  ruler  of  Israel,  or,  from  a  higher  point  of 
view,  a  righteous  king  of  his  people,  or,  from  a  still  higher  point 
of  view,  a  righteous  conqueror  of  the  nations  of  the  world,  whose 
wickedness  he  would  neutralise  by  his  material  might,  Isaiah 
conceived  and  proclaimed  to  be  a  king  glorious  in  the  spirit, 
whose  simple  word,  without  any  outward  force,  was  to  guide  the 
nations  to,  and  in,  the  way  of  righteousness ;  a  king  in  whose 
kingdom  no  person  and  '  no  thing  that  maketh  a  lie '  can  exist ; 
a  kingdom  on  earth,  indeed,  but  of  heaven  ;  a  kingdom  of  love  ; 
a  kingdom,  in  which  no  passion,  no  persecution,  no  war,  no  vice, 
no  'sin,  the  wages  of  which  is  death V  would  exist.  A  glorious 
prophet,  indeed,  is  our  Isaiah  ! 

Now,  Mr  Vice-Chancellor  and  Gentlemen,  of  this  glorious 
prophet's  glorious  prophecies  I  will  read  and  expound  to  you 
the  most  glorious ;  a  prophecy  well  known  to  all  of  you  in- 
asmuch as  on  it,  in  a  measure,  your  Christian  faith  rests :  and 
yet  a  prophecy  that  has  not  found  to  this  day  an  expositor. 
Not  that  there  are  no  commentaries  on  it  to  be  found ;  on  the 
contrary,  the  reader  labours  under  an  embarras  de  richesses^. 
But  no  commentator,  either  Jewish  or  Christian,  accessible  to 

1  Ezek.  xviii.  20. 

2  See  Neubauer,  Driver  and   Pusey,    The  Fifty-third  Chapter  of  Isaiah, 
Oxford,  1876.    8vo. 


me\  has  as  yet  consistently  carried  the  reader  through  the 
whole  prophecy.  There  is  none  who  hath  done  in  this 
respect  well,  no,  not  one ;  for  not  one  has  satisfactorily 
answered  the  old,  but  simple  and  important  question  of  the 
treasurer  of  the  Queen  of  Ethiopia :  '  Of  whom  speaJceth  the 
prophet  this^?'  Whilst  well-known  words  and  phrases  have  been 
expatiated  upon  ad  nauseam,  real  difficulties  have  been  got  over, 
not  by  being  removed  through  explanation,  but  simply  by  being 
either  slurred  over  or  sublimely  ignored.  Nor  are  even  the 
general  applications  of  this  prophecy,  ten  in  number,  more  true 
than  new,  or  more  new  than  true.  The  "servant  of  God" 
here  mentioned  has  been  identified:  1st,  with  Israel;  2ndly, 
with  the  pious  in  his  midst ;  3rdly,  with  the  Messiah ;  4thly, 
with  the  prophets  in  general;  5thly,  with  Isaiah  himself; 
6thly,  with  Jeremiah ;  7thly,  with  king  Uzziah ;  8thly,  with 
Hezekiah ;  9thly,  with  Josiah ;  and  lOthly  (risum  teneatis 
amid !)  with  Satan-tormented  Job !  These  applications  and 
explanations,  if  not  true,  are  nevertheless  not  entirely  without 
value  to  us.  For,  although  the  modern  commentaries  on  this 
prophecy  are  mere  rechauffes  as  regards  application  and  expla- 
nations, any  nine  of  them  successfully  show  the  absurdities 
of  the  tenth  theory ;  and  thus,  although  disagreeing  among  them- 
selves as  to  what  the  real  application  and  explanation  should 
be,  they  agree  with  one  another  as  to  what  these  should  not  be. 
And  yet  there  must  have  been  a  time  when  the  import  of  this 
prophecy  was  well  known.  If  the  Jews  for  the  last  eighteen 
hundred  years,  out  of  bias  against  Christianity,  have  favoured, 
as  is  asserted,  any  one  of  the  nine  theories  rather  than  the 
Messianic — such  surely  could  not  have  been  the  case  in  pre- 

1  A  friend  of  mine  remarked  to  me,  that  he  thought  that  an  exposition 
similar  to  mine  had  been  given  by  Dr  Delitzsch,  whose  work  I  had  not  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  when  I  wrote  the  above.  I  have  since  examined  his  com- 
mentary (Delitzsch  and  Hahn,  Berlin,  1857,  8vo.),  and  I  find  that,  except  in  the 
rendering  of  isolated  words  and  phrases,  we  differ  toto  caelo.  As  my  friend 
Professor  Delitzsch  and  I  had  the  advantage  of  going  through  a  similar  course 
of  studies  it  would  have  been  strange  if  there  had  not  been  points  of  agreement 
between  us;  nevertheless:  D''5<^n:  '•3K^  pxi  D^&<^3J  HDd'?  ^h^V  ^HN  p3:iD 
nnx  |i::bl-  D'-XajriD  (T.  B.  Synhedrin  89»). 

2  Acts  viii.  34. 


Christian  times.  Is  there  nothing  left  in  Jewish  literature  to 
tell  us  to  whom  the  Jews  applied  this  chapter  nineteen  hundred 
years  ago  ?  I  think  there  is ;  and  I  will  at  once  tell  you  that 
the  Targum,  or  Chaldaic  paraphrase,  on  this  prophet,  now  in 
our  hands,  is  that  piece  of  literature.  This  Targum,  as  it  now 
stands,  is  certainly  not  free  from  omissions,  alterations^  and 
interpolations^;'  but  it  is,  on  the  whole,  the  work  not  of  a 
Babylonian  Rabbi  of  the  4th  century  post  Christum  natum, 
as  one-sided  criticism  has  tried  to  establish,  but  of  a  Palestinian 
paraphrast  of  the  years  30  to  10  ante  Christum  natum.  From 
what  is  left  of  this  Targum  the  true  critic  recognises  that  in 
pre-Christian  times  there  were  already  three  applications  made 
of  this  prophecy,  which,  however,  in  reality  amounted  only  to 
one.     They  were : 

(1)  The  people  of  Iskael, 

(2)  As  represented  by  the  pious  in  his  midst, 

(3)  Culminating  in  the  Messiah, 

figuratively  representing  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth  with 
the  top  of  it  reaching  to  heaven,  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  on  it ;  but  God  standing  above  it  ^. 

Three  questions,  I  imagine,  you  may  be  inclined  to  ask. 
The  first  will  be  one  personal  to  me :  "  Dost  thou  deem  thy- 
self wiser  than  Daniel"  that  thou  presumest  to  know  what 
nobody  else  knoweth  about  the  prophet  Isaiah  and  his  pro- 
phecies ?  Know  then,  that  "as  for  me,  this  secret  is  not 
revealed  unto  me  for  any  wisdom  that  I  have  more  than  any 
living " ;  but  that  it  is  the  simple  result  of  honest  and  long 
and  affectionate  study  of  this  prophet.  I  am  now  61  years  of 
age,  and  I  so  loved  the  Hebrew  Bible  in  my  youth  that  I 
knew  the  whole  of  it  by  heart  before  I  was  ten  years  old*. 
But,  although  the  whole  Bible  has  ever  been  dear  to  me,  my 
favourite   prophet   has   always   been   Isaiah.     Him   I   studied 

1  That  '»31'»  and  "IDDTT'i^  (liii.  5)  could  not  have  stood  originally  is  plain  from 
i»nn^&<T  yet  left. 

2  See  further  on,  p.  7,  note  3. 

3  Qen^  xxviii.  12,  13 ;  1  Corinth,  xv.  28. 

^  See  Jakrbuchfur  5640—1880,  Budapest,  8vo.,  p.  6. 


under  Jews,  Rabbanites  and  Quaraites ;  him  I  studied  under 
Christians,  Roman  Catholics  and  Protestants.  Re  has  ever 
been  my  thought  in  the  day,  my  dream  in  the  night;  my 
comfort  in  trouble,  my  exultation  in  happiness.  He  is  my 
prophet  as  he  is,  probably,  nobody  else's.  And  you  know  the 
import  of  the  beautiful  lines  of  the  German  poet : 

„  SCBer  ten  JE)id(>ter  tottt  serfiel^en 
aJlup  in  $£)id(>ter8  Sanic  gel^en." 

Your  next  question  will  be :  What  are  your  proofs  of  the  high 
age  of  the  Targum  ?  To  this  my  answer  is :  I  have  proofs  both 
negative  and  positive  : 

(1)  Not  only  does  Rab  Joseph^  who  lived  in  the  III — IVth. 
century  post  Christum  natum,  who  is  generally  considered  to 
be  the  author  of  this  Targum,  quote  it  and  speak  of  it  as  one 
speaks  of  a  book  of  great  authority  ^  which  in  the  Talmud  is 
equivalent  to  high  age,  but 

(2)  the  Talmud  itself  distinctly  ascribes  it  to  the  oldest  dis- 
ciple of  HilleP  (30  to  10  years  ante  Christum  natum) ;  and 

(3)  that  the  Founder  of  Christianity  himself  has,  apparently, 
quoted  its  peculiar  phraseology  on  chap.  liii.  7,  as  you  will  see 
when  we  arrive  there.  Your  third  question  will,  of  course,  be 
about  the  contents  of  this  Targum,  both  of  the  portions  which 
are  now  missing  and  of  those  which  still  exist.  This  question 
shall  be  duly,  if  not  fully  ^,  answered  in  the  course  of  the 
following 

Dissertation. 

The  last  three  verses  of  what  is  now  called  the  fifty-second  and 
the  whole  of  the  fifty-third  chapter  form  one  prophecy,  and  were, 
no  doubt,  in  olden  times,  used  as  one  undivided  'Haphtarah' 
or  'prophetic  portion,'  even  as  the  preceding  and  succeeding 
chapters  are  used  to  this  day.  Why  the  Jews  should  ever  have 
withdrawn  such  a  sublime  piece  of  prophecy  from  the  public 
reading  in  the  Synagogue  is  easily  explained,  whilst  its  existence 

1  T.  B.  Megillah  S\  2  t,  g,  Megillah  3^ 

3  I  am  now  preparing  an  Essay,  in  which  I  shall  show  the  places  where  the 
omissions,  alterations  and  interpolations  occur. 


in  the  Scriptures  to  this  day  is,  at  the  same  time,  a  triumphant 
refutation  of  the  statement  made  by  more  than  one  speaker 
in  this  place,  this  very  week :  that  the  Jews  have  neglected, 
or  have  even  tampered  with,  the  Scriptures.  The  truth  is,  the 
Scriptures  themselves  and,  so  to  say,  every  line,  every  letter, 
every  iota  of  them,  have  been  held  in  too  high  a  veneration  by 
the  Jews  for  them  to  do  such  a  thing.  No  sacrilege  would 
equal  in  the  eye  of  the  Jew  that  of  removing  anything  from, 
or  altering,  the  Scriptures,  as  the  faithful  preservation  to  this 
day  of  the  written  (^^HD)  in  spite  of  the  authority  of  the  read 
(^^p)  word,  or  letter  of  Scripture  will  amply  shew.  To  avoid 
the  influence  upon  the  less  learned  of  Scriptural  controversy 
carried  on  by  adversaries,  whom  they  thought  justly  or  un- 
justly, either  ignorant  or  dishonest,  or  both,  the  Kabbis,  not 
without  considerable  pain  and  misgiving,  but  openly  and 
avowedly,  withdrew  some  of  the  most  hallowed  pieces  of  Scrip- 
ture from  the  public  reading  in  the  Synagogue,  as,  for  instance, 
the  very  Decalogue^  on  which  the  whole  Mosaic  Law  rests.  And 
so  they  did,  no  doubt,  with  this  prophecy,  which,  although 
Israel,  as  represented  by  the  pious  in  his  midst,  culminating  in 
the  Messiah,  was  in  itself  a  glorious  Israelite  idea,  had  become 
dangerous  ground  since  the  disciples  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  saw 
in  their  Master  Israel's  hope,  the  true  Messiah.  In  accordance, 
then,  with  the  oldest  application  I  will  explain  to  you  this 
prophecy  lexically,  grammatically,  syntactically,  and  historically. 
The  Dramatis  Personae  are  three : 

(1)  God  who  speaks  in  the  Exordium  in  verses  13,  14  and 
15  of  chap.  52  and  in  the  Epilogue  in  verses  11  and  12  of 
chap.  53 ; 

(2)  the  Gentile  nations  and  their  kings,  who  speak  in  the 
first  Section  in  verses  1, 2,  3,  4,  5  and  6  of  chap.  53 ;  and 

(3)  the  prophet  Isaiah,  who  speaks  in  his  own  person,  in 
the  second  Section  in  verses  7,  8,  9  and  10.  The  Lord,  as 
everywhere  else,  Alpha  and  Omega,  is  here  also  the  first  and 
the  last. 

1  T.  B.  Berakhoth,  12*  ;  comp.  Lumby  Acts  i-xiv.  in  the  Cambridge  Bible  for 
Schools,  p.  173,  and  the  Publications  of  the  Palaeographical  Society,  plate  No.  xci. 


Lii.  13.   7^^^^  nilin  Behold^  he  shall  prosper.    Although  no  one 

can  have  a  higher  opinion  of  the  men  of  the  Authorised 
Version  than  I,  both  as  regards  their  honest  and  pains- 
taking labours,  and  their  genius  and  learning,  I  must  say, 
that  in  the  very  second  word  of  the  very  first  verse  of 
this  prophecy,  there  is  a  mistake  in  that  version.  7^^^^ 
occurs  three  times  in  the  Bible  besides  here,  and  in  none 
of  these  places  does  it  mean :  he  shall,  or  he  will,  or  he 
does,  deal  prudently.  It  means:  to  be  successful,  to 
prosper,  and  so  also  the  Targum  renders  it  ph^\  I  there- 
fore translate 

7^2^^  he  shall  prosper. 

''lyjj     My  devoted  one.      The  term   'servant'  would,  applied 

to  Israel  as  represented  by  the  pious  in  his  midst,  culmi- 
nating in  the  Messiah,  present  no  difficulties ;  but  it  forms 
the  basis  of  one  of  the  strongest  objections,  raised  on 
the  part  of  the  Jews,  for  the  last  700  years,  against 
the  conception  of  the  Christian  Messiah,  who,  they  say, 
ought  rather  to  have  been  called  here  'my  son.'  And, 
indeed,  so  telling  was  this  objection  felt  to  be  by  Chris- 
tian controversialists,  that  they  took  to  lines  of  defence, 
which  were  really  no  defence  at  all.  I  am,  in  loyalty 
to  true  Hebrew  scholarship,  bound  to  state  that  the  Jewish 
objection  has  no  locus  standi  whatever.  The  term  ^^y 
means  no  doubt,  a  slave,  or  a  hired  servant ;  but  it  means 
also  something  more,  and  does  by  no  means  exclude  the 
idea  of  sonship.  *72y  means  one  who  faithfully  does,  or  at 
least  ought  to  do,  what  his  master  (and  in  the  Jewish  idea 
one's  father  is  also  one's  master^)  requires  of  him.  Hence 
David,  the  father  and  type  of  the  Messiah ;  David,  who  is, 
according  to  the  undisputed  Jewish  interpretation,  called 
in  the  Psalms^  ^^2  my  son,  is  in  the  same  book  of 
Psalms'  called  i^)^^  *71J^,  even  as  the  children  of  Israel, 
who  are  in  one  place  of  the  Pentateuch  (Deut.  xiv.  1) 
called  D^^2  children,  are  in  another  place  (Lev.  xxv.  55) 

1  Mai.  iii.  17.  '-^  ii.  7.  ^  xviii.  1  and  elsewhere. 


c  10 

called  dn^J?.  This  is  the  true,  and  ought  to  be  the 
only,  Christian  defence.  The  Septuagint  is,  therefore,  not 
wrong,  as  some  have  thought,  in  translating  ^^^J^  by  Trat? 
fiov,  which  represents,  as  in  Hebrew,  both  my  servant,  and 
the  more  affectionate  term,  my  child.  Here  is  something 
missing  in  the  Targum,  and  unluckily  the  chief  word ; 
for  ^*7DJ^  was,  no  doubt,  originally  rendered  boldly,  by 
Xn^^/b  ^y7J2,  the  King,  the  Messiah  (or  simply.  King 
Messiah).  The  translation:  'he  shall  be  exalted  and  be 
very  high,'  answers  not  badly  to  the  Hebrew. 

D^l^  is  a  lower  degree  than  ^^y\.  The  former  means,  strictly 
speaking,  shall  he  lifted  up  to  a  height,  without  comparing 
that  height  with  anything  else.  It  is  something  like  our 
positive  degree,  whilst 

^^^^  means  and  he  lifted  up  to  a  height  higher  than  that 
mentioned  before.  It  is  virtually  the  comparative.  Com- 
pare the  word  of  our  prophet  in  ii.  2  where  it  is,  how- 
ever, incorrectly  translated  by  'exalted.'     The  expression 

nn:)'?^  ^mr\'\  idSd  :i:is;b  di^i  and  his  king  shaii  be 

higher  than  Agag  and  his  kingdom  shall  be  exalted  V 
although  kindred,  is  yet  markedly  different. 

rl^-^l  means  in  itself  simply  and  shall  he  high,  and  becomes 

relatively  the  Superlative,  only  by  the  addition  of  another 

word ;  comp.  '  Unh))  tDNIlJll  1)b^  T]"!^  Sj^lb  M^i:!  ^:).  For 
one  higher  than  a  high  one  regardeth,  and  there  are 
higher  ones  than  they  I'  Here  this  other  and  qualifying 
word  is 

ni^D   very.     The  application  of  this  verse  by  the  Rabbis  to 

the  Messiah  and  their  explanation^:  'X^^V.-dHI^X/b  hT\* 

tr\^r\  ''^'2'^bl2  n!i:iV..n^;bD,  exalted  above  Abraham... 
and  extolled  above  Moses... and  higher  than  the  ministering 
angels...'  is  therefore  more  than  a  mere  fancy.  It  is  indeed 
another  form  for  the  beautiful  phrase  to  be  met  with  in 

1  Numb.  xxiv.  7.  ^  EccI.  v.  7. 

3  Tanchuma  Parashath  Toledoth.  ^  Some  copies  read  :  '•DN7DD. 


11 

the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews^ :  '  being  made  so  much  better 
than  the  angels.' 

Lil.  14.    *n^*5»53  As  introduces  the  protasis  and  stands  in  con- 

nexion  with  p  sOy  which  introduces  the  apodosis  in  the 
next  verse. 
M^J^I^    shrank  back  with   astonishment.      Ut2^   is  not  to  be 

_:  T 

astonished  pure  and  simple,  it  includes  the  idea  of 
shrinking  back  in  consequence  of  seeing  something  extra- 
ordinary in  a  bad  sense,  exempli  gratia,  desolation  in 
beings  whether  animate  or  inanimate  ;  comp.  H  vj^  )f2J2^) 
Uyyi^  ^  as  applied  to  Palestine  :  '  your  enemies  when  they 
see  its  desolation  shall  be  astonished,  i.e.  horror-stricken;' 
and  many  other  passages  in  the  Bible. 

*^wy  at  thee,  i.  e.  0  thou,  my  devoted  one  ! 

D^3*n  does  not  signify  here  many,  but  great  ones;  comp.  chap. 
V.  9  in  this  prophet :  D^^'l  D^H!!  great  houses,  where  the 
parallelism  is  d  v*7Jl  great  ones.  The  same  will  be  seen 
in  the  apodosis  in  the  next  verse:  U^'^l  D^U  great 
nations.  ^ 

p  of  a  truth!  The  prophet  chooses  this  expression  of  em- 
phasis, which  is  otherwise  not  wanted  here,  merely  to 
bring  out  the  beauty  of  the  word  p  in  the  next  verse, 
which  is  wanted  there. 

nntJ^/b,  with  the  form  and  pointing  of  which  the  commentators 

know  not  what  to  do,  stands  simply  for  JintJ^X  deterio- 
rated, corrupted,  destroyed,  the  past  of  the  NipKal  being 
used  participially  here.  One  single  point  under  the  Fatach 
would  change  it  into  a  Qamatz  magnum^.  I  ascribe  all 
substantives  of  this  form  to  the  same  origin,  as  p^/b? 
a  dwelling  place,  Tabernacle  from  p^^  inhabited,  tJ^lpD 

1  i.  4. 

2  Lev.  xxvi.  32. 

3  See  nnt?  113  on  Gen.  xviii.  3  (and  the  interesting  remarks  of  Taylor, 
Sayings  of  the  Jewish  Fathers,  Cambridge,  1878.  8vo.  Hebrew  Part,  p.  16,  Note  5). 


12 

c 

sanctuary,  from  tJ^^tp^  sanctified.  Comp.  also  the  ID  prce- 
formativum  in  Syriac,  not  merely  in  the  infinitive,  but  in 
the  greater  number  of  the  participles. 

tJ^^KD  the  jb  here  is  not  a  littera  comparativa,  but  privativa, 

and  the  word  signifies  unlike  man,  not  human. 
^iliC\^  his  visage,  HXI)^  meaning  appearance,  features  \ 

i^Xn*)  and  his  complexion,  ^XD  meaning  form,  colour*. 

^J3/b  does  not  signify  ynore  than  but  unlike,  the  children  of; 

here  also  the  D  is  a  littera  privativa. 
d*T^5  is  a  lower  degree  than  tJ^^K  for  man, 

T  T 

Be  it  in  reference  to  Israel  because  of  troubles,  or  be 
it  in  reference  to  the  pious  in  his  midst  with  a  sad 
countenance  because  of  fasting^,  or  be  it  finally  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Messiah  because  of  anxiety  and  suffering : — 
what  the  prophet  wishes  to  express  in  the  name  of  God 
is :  Even  as  great  persons  have  shrunk  from  thee,  saying 
surely  his  features  are  not  those  of  a  human  being,  nor  is 
his  complexion  like  that  of  children  of  men. 

Lii.  15.  p  So,  introduces  the  apodosis  in  this  verse,  just  as 
^t^t^^D  as,  in  the  verse  before,  introduced  the  protasis. 

nr  does  not  come  from  HO  to  sprinkle,  which  term,  as  is  well- 
known,  is  never  used  without  a  close  specification  of  the 
fluid  for  sprinkling  (as  water,  blood,  &c.);  nor  is  it  the 
n  ^7*  equivalent  of  (H^^  to  scatter)  as  the  Targum  renders 
it  (ni^'').  Both  Jewish  and  Christian  translators  forget 
this  in  their  theological  bias  and  zeal  to  bring  out  their 
respective  doctrines.  Whilst  the  Jewish  commentators 
think  of  the  revenge  Israel  would  take  for  the  wrongs 
inflicted  on  him  (a  doctrine  which  is  ungodly,  for  '  ven- 
geance is  mineV  saith  the  Lord),  the  Christian  commen- 
tators think  of  baptism,  which  cannot  have  been  meant,  at 
least  here,  as  the  earliest  form  of  baptism  consisted  not  in 

1  Comp.  Num.  viii.  4.  ^  Comp.  Lam.  iv.  8. 

3  Matthew  vi.  16.  •*  Beut.  xxxii.  35. 


13 

sprinkling,  but  in  immersion*.    The  fact  is,  ilV  here  comes 
from  the  root  MT*!  to  accumulate^  to  gather,  to  attract  Comp. 
the  Arabic  ^W 
d)iil  nations 

D^S*!  great  ones,  as  in  the  verse  before. 
V /V  Over,  or  at,  him 
^'^Bp'^  shall  close 

Q^]5 //b  kings  (not  the  kings) 

dn^^  their  mouth  (and  not  their  mouths), 

^3  for 

*^^*^^  that  which 

^h  not 

*n3D  had  been  told.  This  is  the  past  Pu'al,  or  passive  conjuga- 
tion of  the  Pi'el  *13D  :  telling  briefly.  If  ^^D  is  to  signify- 
to  relate  circumstantially,  something  has  to  be  added. 

on  /  unto  them  ^ 

V    T 

1X1  they  see, 

1^X5  dnd  that  which 

xS  not 

)]}^^  they  had  heard,     yd^  has  three  significations :  to  hear ; 

to  understand;   to  obey.      Even    if  it  merely   signifies  to 
hear,  it  means  more  than  a  bare  relation.     But,  although 
seeing  is  more  than  hearing,  understanding  is  more  than 
seeing.     The  climax  is  therefore : 
l^^iSrin  they  understand. 

1  See,  however,  Exod.  xxiv.  8,  where  the  verb  used  is  pit- 


14 

c 

Here  the  Exordium  ends  and  may  be  translated  as  follows  : 

Lli.  18.     Behold,  my  devoted  one  shall  prosper, 

He  shall  be  exalted  and  lifted  up  and  be  very  high. 

14.  Even  as  great  ones  recoiled  from  thee  (saying)  : 
Of  a  truth,  not   like   those  of  a  human   being   are   his 

features, 
Nor  is  his  complexion  like  that  of  the  children  of  men. 

15.  So  shall  he  attract  great  nations, 

At  (the  sight  of)  him  shall  kings  close  their  mouth. 
For  that  which  had  not  been  told  to  them  they  shall  see. 
And  that  which  they  had  not  (even)  heard  of  shall  they 
understand. 

Lili.  1.       ^]b  Who 

pJbKn  would  believe.     It  is  so  incredible ! 

^^nj^^^7  our  report,  i.e.  the  one  which  is  spread  by  us  ?  Comp. 

''^bf^  ^)il  nnX  thou  art  my  king  (Ps.  XLiv.  5),  which 
means  the  king  who  rules  over  me,  whilst  O/lb  ^Jl^D^  ^^X1 
and  I  have  anointed  my  king  (Ps.  ii.  7)  means  the  king 
made  by  me.  Here  also  I^HJ?^^/  means  the  report  which 
is  spread  by  us. 

}IT\])  for  the  arm  of 

nin^  the  Eternal 

T       ; 

7j^  upon 

^jb  whom,  such  a  low  and  despised  person. 

nn /^^  hath  it  been  revealed  ? 

LIU.  2.    7j^*5  For  he  grew  up, 
p^i*5  05  a  weakly  shoot 

V^Si?  before  Him,  referring  to  Min*,  mentioned  in   the  verse 
before. 


15 

t^^i2^y\  And  like  unto  a  root.     Transpose  and  read  :  V^S  /   v)}'^) 

^^^y\  p^V^-  For  he  grew  up  before  Him  like  a  weakly 
plant  and  a  root.  This  construction  is  often  to  be  met 
with  in  classic  literature  (as,  novi  enim  moderationem 
animi  tui,  et  aequitatem^). 

V^Xto  From  (the)  ground 

n*^  dry,  parched.     (This  word  is,  in  reality,  an  abstract  noun.) 

ihnot 

*^^<h  form,  colour,  complexion,  i.e.  a  beautiful  one. 

)y  unto  him  (as  the  Latin  mihi  est). 

ii/)  and  not 

yiil  comeliness,  or  goodliness.     The  p  which  stands  after  *^^J^ 

refers  also  to  I^H-  This  word  has  the  second  strongest 
dividing  accent ;  (H-^HX) ;  nevertheless 

^nX^il  must  be  translated  in  connexion  with  it :  That  we  should 

have  looked  upon  him.  For,  although  I  ascribe  a  higher 
age  to  the  Accents^  than  is  generally  done,  I  ascribe  a  still 
higher  age  to  one  of  the  chief  rules  of  Hebrew  poetry  : 
parallelism.     I  read,  therefore,  without  hesitation  inX^^I 

with  ^nn. 

iih)  Nor 

nX*n^    an  appearance,  i.e.  a  goodly   one;   and  here  we  must 

again  supply  the  word  y?  from  the  phrase  17  'IXM  ^7 
as  if  there  stood :  p  HXI/b  xSl  and  he  had  no  goodly 
appearance. 

^nnpn^l  That  we  should  have  desired  him. 

Liii.  3 :  HD^  Se  was  despised 
7"Fri1  and  the  lowest  (the  dregs)  of 

1  Cicero  De  Senectute  in  initio.  *  Journal  of  Philology,  ix.  p.  222. 


16 

c 

D^^'^i^  men; 
t^**^  a  man  of 

nii&<!)^  pains 

J^n^l  and  intimate  with 

^7h  is,  strictly  speaking,  sickness,  but  is  well  translated  by 
'grief,'  as  it  is,  of  course,  a  mere  figure  ;  comp.  ^7n  HT  *li^ 
this  is  a  grief^.  Jeremiah  did  not  mean  that  he  was  sick 
when  he  uttered  this  sentence,  as  the  context  shows.  By 
this  evidence  one  of  the  objections  of  Jewish  commentators, 
that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  reported  nowhere  to  have  been 
sick,  falls  to  the  ground. 

^^Ipp^^  And  as  if  there  were  a  hiding  of 

D03  the  Countenance,  i.e.  of  God.  Q^^^  ninDH  if  not  further 

specified,  means  always  the  hiding  of  the  Divine  counte- 
nance, the  withdrawal  of  God's  mercy;  so  also  the  Targum: 
i^r\::i^  '^i^  ^phDJ2  r\)ni  K;b:)1  and  as  if  there  had  been 
a  withdrawal  of  the  countenance  of  the  concentration  (of 
the  Divine  omnipresence^). 

^5^p  From  him.   The  Targum  has  KJj;^.     In  any  case  it  refers 

to  Israel,  as  represented  hy  the  pious  in  his  midst,  culmi- 
nating in  the  Messiah. 

MDi  He  was  despised 

iih)  and  as  nought.  Comp.  D^^lf]b^  xSf  and  thou  wilt  find 
them  as  nought ;  a  rendering  which  is  there  required  by 
parallelism  and  here  by  the  climax.  For  how  could  any- 
body say :  so  and  so  is  despised  by  me  and  I  esteem  him 
not? 

^n^^t^n  We  counted  him. 

1  Jer.  X.  19.  2  Comp.  Isaiah  lix.  2. 

'  Isaiah  xli.  12. 


17 

Liii.  4.     pt<  But,  of  a  truth, 
^yhr\  our  griefs 

"tt: 

H^n  he 

i<^^  hath  borne 

T     T 

^i^]3K5^^  a7id  our  sorrows 
th^O  he  carried  them, 

T  T  : 

^^n^Kl  although  we 

^n^^^Yi  did  esteem  him,  (i.  e.  did  take  him  to  be) 

J^^Jl^  stricken  of  (God).     Although  this  word  is  pointed  as  if  it 

were  in  the  status  absolutus  it  is  in  the  status  constructus. 
T\^l2  smitten  of 

D'^liSx  God 

niJj;/!:^   and  afflicted   of  {God).      This  word  is,  like    j;Ui   in 
the  status  constructus,  although  in  consequence  of  their 
position,  the  one  before,  and  the  other  after,  D\"l /i<  HlJ/b, 
■^  they  are  pointed  as  if  they  were  in  the  status  absolutus. 

LIU.  5.       i^)tl)   Whilst  he  was 

/iT\0  transfixed,  pierced  through;  comp.  77n  a  corpse,  chiefly 
as  having  become  so  by  being  bored  through,  i.e.  slain 
with  a   sharp  iron  instrument,  as  a  sword,  or  a  lance,  &c. 

^yytJ'^D  By  our  transgressions  (i.e.  heavy  sins) 

K5*lD  he  was  crushed,  or  tightly  held  down 

l^^nUiy^  by  our  iniquities,  i.e.  the  lighter  sins  ; 

1D^!D  the  chastisement  of 

^ydw^  our  peace 

y7^  is  upon  him, 

S,.  2 


.     18 

in^ini!!!^  and  hy  Ms  being  wounded.     This  word  is  kindred  to, 

but  not  identical  with,  nil^in. 
XiS*!^  There  is  healing  given 

^j7   unto  us. 

T 

There  is  throughout  this  verse  a  double  but  inverted 
climax:  the  heavier  our  sins  the  more  heavily  is  he 
visited ;  and  the  less  our  happiness  the  less  he  had  to 
suffer.  For  not  only  has  sin  to  be  atoned  for ;  but  even 
happiness  as  such,  being  an  adumbration  and  foretaste  of 
heaven,  cannot  be  enjoyed  on  earth  without  some  un- 
earthly equivalent,  i.e.  a  heavenly  act  of  resignation. 

Liii.  6.     ^y^^  all  of  us  (i.  e.  not  one  excepted) 
}X5^3  Like  unto  the  sheep  (i.  e.  without  understanding) 
^yyM  We  erred  helplessly  and  aimlessly  about. 
^^Ji5  Every  one 

)2^i?  to  his  own  way.     The  nations  had  not  even  one  and  the 

same  kind  of  error,  or  idolatry  ;  but  each  one  had  its  own ; 
and  even  that  they  continually  changed. 

^y^S  We  turned  ; 

•    T 

ni/T'l  hut  the  Eternal, 

T 

y-^lfin  hr ought.     The  Hiph'il  of  J^JlS  means  to  cause  to  touch; 

hence,  to  intercede,  or  to  bring  home  to. 
iSl  On,  or  into,  or  in,  him. 

riX  marks  here  simply  the  accusative.     (It  occasionally  marks 
also  the  preposition  with,  as  in  verses  8,  9  and  12  below.) 

py    The  iniquity  of.     The  expression    pj^  for  lighter  sin,  is 

purposely  chosen  as  being  here  the  more  comprehensive ; 
for  every  sin,  even  the  heaviest,  is,  at  least,  a  light  one, 


19 

but  not  vice  versa.     The  man  who  hath  committed  a  ^\^^, 
or  a  ^^T\,  may  be  safely  charged  with  having  committed 
an  py. 
^:h'^  All  of  us. 

Here  the  speech  of  the  nations  and  kings  of  heathen- 
dom ends.  Converted,  they  all  acknowledge  that  they 
had  been  mistaken  in  thinking  that  the  troubles  which 
had  come  upon  Israel,  as  represented  hy  the  pious  in  his 
midsty  culminating  in  the  Messiah,  were  on  account  of  his 
own  sins.  No  doubt  there  were  and  there  are  sinners  of 
<  the  stock  of  Israel;  but  if  any  of  the  stock  of  Israel  sin, 
they,  surely,  sin  by  their  non-Israelite,  their  heathenish, 
acts  :  such  sinners,  however,  never  were,  and  never  are,  the 
sufferers.  It  is  the  righteous  Israelite  only,  culminating  in 
the  Messiah,  that  has  suffered  both  outwardly  and  inwardly  : 
outwardly  because  he  conformed  not  to  the  heathen  ma- 
jority, and  inwardly  because  he,  the  first-born  of  God,  the 
ever  and  deeply  feeling  heart  of  the  human  race  \  deplored 
the  erring  of  the  world,  which  went  after  idols  various, 
agreeing  only  in  one  thing,  the  aberration  from  the  true 
God.  The  true  translation  of  these  six  verses  will  be, 
according  to  my  humble  opinion,  the  following  : 

Liii.  1.     Who  would  believe  our  report? 
For  the  arm  of  the  Eternal  upon  whom  hath  it  been 
revealed  ? 

2.  For  he  grew  up  before  Him  as  a  weakly  shoot  and 
as  a  root  from  parched  ground. 

He  had  neither  form  nor  comeliness  that  we  should 
have  looked  upon  him. 

Nor  had  he  such  an  appearance  that  we  should  have 
desired  him. 

3.  He  was  the  despised  and  lowest  of  men. 
A  man  of  pains  and  intimate  with  grief 

And  there  was,  as  it  were,  a  hiding  of  God's  counte- 
nance from  him. 

He  was  despised  and  we  counted  him  for  nought. 

^  Kuzari  ii.  35—44. 

2—2 


c    20 

4.  But,  of  a  truth,  our  griefs  he  hath  borne. 
And  our  sorrows  he  carried  them. 

Although  we  did  esteem   him   stricken,   smitten   and 
afflicted  by  God. 

5.  Whilst  he  was  pierced  by  our  transgressions,  crushed 
by  our  iniquities ; 

The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  by 
his  being  wounded  healing  was  given  to  us. 

6.  All  of  us  strayed  like  unto  the  sheep, 
Every  one  to  his  own  way  we  turned ; 

But  the  Eternal  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 

Liii.  7.    ^^^  he  was  oppressed ^ 

K^in*!  and  he  was 

r\^p  afflicted.  Transpose :  H^J^^I  W^  SJ^Jll  The  true  sense 
of  these  three  words  is  admirably  given  by  the 
Authorised  Version.  Of  these  three  words,  however, 
I  must  say  something  more,  as  they  are  most  im- 
portant to  us  because  of  their  peculiar  rendering 
in  the  Targum :  ^nriD  NIHI  ^J^^;  anglice:  he  had  only 
to  pray  and  he  was  answered  at  once  (as  if  there  stood 
^21^  ^).     This  rendering  seems  to  have  been  in  the  mind  of 

the  Founder  of  Christianity,  when  he  said  to  'one  of 
them  which  were  with  him :  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot 
now  pray^  to  my  Father  and  he  shall  presently  give  me 
more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels  V  or  in  other  passages 
of  N.  T.,  as  :  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  to  you^  &c. 

N7l  yet  not 

HM^^  opened  he 

Vis  his  mouth. 

n^3  Like  unto  the  lamb 

1  Comp.  1  Kings  xviii.  36  and  Bereshith  Rabhah,  cap.  xciii.  nPSri/'  n'^n 

2  Matth.  xxvi.  53,  &c.  s  Matth.  vii.  7. 


21 

tl^ts?  to  the  slaughter 
7!}^  he  is  brought, 
7)11^^  and  like  a  ewe 
0^7  before 
n^TTil  her  shearers 

TV: 

n^ /X^  is  dumb 

T  T  v:  V 

^)(:and  not 

n^l^^  will  he  open 

VS)  his  mouth.     Here  are  two  questions  to  be  answered  : 

(1)  Why  is  Israel,  as  represented  by  the  pious  in  his 
midst,  culminating  in  the  Messiah,  here  compared  first  with 
a  male  lamb  and  then  with  a  female  sheep  ? 

(2)  Where  is  the  climax  ^frorn  slaughter'  to  'before 
her  shearers/  seeing  that  to  be  merely  divested  of  the  wool 
is  nothing  compared  to  being  deprived  of  life  itself  ? 

Well :  ethnology  teaches  us,  that,  even  as  individuals 
have  physical,  so  whole  nations  have  moral  character- 
istics of  sex.  There  are  male  nations,  i.e.  such  as  have  a 
masculine,  and  there  are  female  nations,  i.e.  such  as  have 
a  feminine,  character.  The  Jewish  nation  will  be  readily 
recognised  as  having  feminine^  characteristics  with  all  their 
drawbacks  and  all  their  advantages.  For  what  can  be 
compared  to  Jewish  jealousy  on  the  one  hand,  and  Jewish 
generosity  on  the  other  ?  What  can  be  compared  to  Jewish 
sensitiveness  and  what  to  Jewish  patience?  What  to 
Jewish  self-appreciation  and  what  to  Jewish  gratitude  ? 
The  fact  is:  the  Jewish  race  is  a  feminine  one:  a  ewe  dumb 
before  her  shearers.  Being  brought  to  the  slaughter  is,  no 
doubt,  a  terrible  thing;  but  it  is  soon  over.  But  to 
endure  the  slow  process  of  exaction,  the  long  and  slow  pro- 

1  Comp.  Jellinek,  ^tx  iufcifc^c  etamm,  i.  Wien,  1869,  8vo.,  pp.  81—88. 


^    22 

cess  of  suffering  and  denial  of  justice,  is  worse  to  the  Jew 
than  death  \  Compare  the  pain  inflicted  by  rough  usage, 
in  a  barbarous  country,  on  an  uncultivated  person  with 
the  exquisite  torture  inflicted  by  polite,  but  not  less  unjust 
treatment,  in  a  civilized  country,  on  a  finely-organized 
mind  :  and  you  will  understand  the  prophet's  climax  from 
the  '  lamb  brought  to  slaughter '  to  '  the  ewe  dumb  before 
her  shearers.' 

Liil.  8.    *1]^J?^  Without  rule.  The  J2  is  privativum ^Sktid  ^)i)}  is  to 

restrain,  to  rule. 
t^^^}2fy\  And  without  justice.     The  D  is  here  similar  to  that 

before,  a  littera  privativa. 
np7  Se  was  taken  away, 

D^]  and  with,    t^^)  is  here  the  preposition  with,  preceded  by 

a  1  conjunctivum. 
1li*l  His  generation 
^jb  who 

nnib^^  can  speak  ?  i.  e.  who  can  argue  with  them  ? 
^3 /or 

^T^i  he  is  being  cut  off 
V*)SD  from  the  land  of 
D^*n  life,  i.e.  happiness. 
J^^BD  In  consequence  of  the  transgression  of 

••^J^  the  nations.     *'J2!^  here  is  not  DJ^  people,  with  the  pronomen 
possessivum,  but  stands  for  D^^J^  nations ;  comp.  2  Samuel 

Snob  '?iD>  '•:^x  iDK^  ^cj^  nna  '^nx  ,n^D  ••iiain^EJ^  nn^ai  smr  HaBsUrim 

Eabbah  on  ii.  7. 


23 

xxii.  44,  as  the  parallelism  in  loco,  aad  the  kindred  pas- 
sages in  Psalms  xviii.  44,  also  by  parallelism,  and  cxliv.  2 
by  context,  clearly  shew. 

J^Jl^  There  came  affliction 
to?  to  htm. 

T 

The  Christians,  in  applying  this  prophecy  to  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  have  been,  as  was  thought  hitherto,  both  by 
Jews  and  the  Christians  themselves,  triumphantly  refuted 
through  this  word  {)u?)  alone.  For,  said  the  semi- 
grammarians,  1^7  is,  surely,  the  equivalent  of  DH/  for 
them,  and  not  of  *|7  for  him.  But  what  is  the  truth  ? 
Ps.  Iv.  20  we  read:  ^^^^  hSd  Ulp  !l^n  0:)^^  Sx  V^^'> 
D\nSK  IXn*'  ^b)  )t:h  r\)^hn  PX  which  must  be  trans- 
lated :  *  God  will  hear  and  afflict  them ;  even  He  who 
lasteth  from  Eternity  to  Eternity ;  in  Whom  there  are  no 
changes — for  they  feared  not  God.'  The  same  is  the  case 
with  1/!3'' /J^,  which  stands  not  always  necessarily  for  DH^ /J^, 
but  sometimes  for  V/J^;  comp.  Job  xxii.  2,  pD^  /X/H 
h':^^f2  )b'h)}  pD^  •»:)  in:!  '  Can  a  man  be  profitable  to 
God  as  he  can  be  profitable  to  himself,  if  he  be  wise  ? ' 

Liii.  9.    [^1*1  And  one  gave.     This  expression  is  impersonal,  like 

the  third  person  of  the  Latin  plural,  the  French  on,  the 
German  man,  the  English  one. 

nX  With 

V 

D'^y^'l  wicked  ones 
il!3p  his  grave, 
riX^  and  with 

*)^^'j^  (the)  proud,     y't^y  is,  strictly  speaking,  rich.     But  not 

only  are  the  poor  identified  in  the  Bible  with  the  meek, 
but  the  rich  are  identified  with  the  wicked,  the  proud,  the 


'    24 

presumptuous,  and  the  avaricious.  Comp.  the  saying  of 
the  Founder  of  Christianity:  'It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to 
go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God\'  There  are,  of  course,  people 
who  are  rich  in  substance  and  yet  poor,  i.e.  meek,  in  spirit. 
Comp.  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount :  '  Blessed  are  the  poor 
in  spirit ^'  (Such  a  man  was,  no  doubt,  the  rich  Joseph  of 
Arimathea.) 

Vrifa^  J^n  his  deaths.     This   word   has  given   a  good  deal  of 

trouble  to  Christian  commentators,  the  Jews  asking  them : 
How  could  one  man  have  more  than  one  death  ?  The 
truth  is,  just  as  D^^M  l{fe  is  to  be  found  only  in  the  plural, 
because  of  the  many  pulsations  of  life,  so  is  death  some- 
times to  be  found  in  the  plural,  because  of  the  various 
stages  with  which  it  approaches.  Comp.  Jer.  xvi.  4 ;  but 
particularly  Ez.  xxviii.  8, 10,  where  a  single  person  is  going 
to  die  many  deaths. 

7J^  Although,  or,  because 

nS  not 
DJbn  violence 

T  T 

ilia^y  he  had  wrought, 
Ky\  and  not 
ilf2ilf2  deceit 
VM  was  in  his  mouth. 

Liii.  10.    r])r\^)  But  God 

T 

VSn  is  pleased 

)i^^1  in  crushing  him 

wT]il  (and)  putting  him  to  grief. 

1  Matth.  xix.  24.  -  Matth.  v.  3. 


25 

nX  Not  Comp.  Numb.  xxiv.  22,  pp  ^pS  n\T  C]«  ^^3  'the 
Kenite  shall  not  be  wasted ';  Pro  v.  xxvii.  24,  ^H/  ^U  DX1 
in^  '  and  the  crown  lasts  not  for  ever.' 

D^^n  She  (i.e.  his  soul)  mZZ  make.     The  word  *1^3^  must  be 

supplied  from  below  and  read  as  if  there  stood  :  D^^n  W^ 
1^3^  D^X  I^Si-     (D''^n  is  here  not  the  second  person 

masculine,  but  the  third  person  feminine.) 

tDSJ^'X  An  offering  for  guilt  of.  Although  D^^5  is,  in  consequence 

of  the  mental  reduplication  of  1^^^,  pointed  as  if  it  were 
in  the  status  ahsolutus,  it  is  in  the  status  constructus. 

)^p^  His  soul.     Or  1^*3^  stands  here  for  1^^^7  on  account 

of  the  two-fold  application.  The  meaning  is  this :  '  he 
will  let  his  sufferings  come  upon  himself  as  an  offering  not 
for  guilt  committed  by  himself,  but  rather  for  the  guilt  of 
others.'  For  the  last  700  years  Jewish  commentators  have 
argued  against  the  doctrine  of  'Vicarious  Atonement'  as 
an  invention  of  Christianity ;  but  is  this  really  true  ? 
Surely,  the  whole  sacrificial  idea,  where  the  innocent 
victim  suffers  for  the  guilty  man,  who  is  indeed  only  then 
accepted  when  the  victim  has  been  entirely  without  blemish, 
speaks  volumes  against  this  assertion.  In  the  sacrifice  of 
a  man  (or  a  nation)  there  is  added  another  condition :  that 
it  must  be  T)yi/  with  free  will,  i.e.  cheerfully. 
il^'y  He  shall  see 

y^T  seed, 

T'lJ^^  {thsit)  will  prolong 

D^/b^  days.  The  misunderstanding  of  this  passage  has  con- 
siderably damaged  the  Christian  application  and  explana- 
tion, since  ^^T  seed  can  only  mean  actual  and  material 
progeny.  Now  Jesus,  they  say,  had  neither  bodily  children, 
nor  did  he  live  long.  But  the  fact  is  :  d^Jb^  "|nX^  yiT  tl^y 
must  not  be  translated  'he  shall  see  his  seed,  he  shall 


c       26 

prolong  his  days/  since  the  possessive  pronouns  are  not 
in  the  text,  but:  'he  shall  see  a  seed/  i.e.  a  generation, 
'which  shall  prolong  days/  i.e.  which  shall  last  long.  So 
long,  'till/  as  Saint  Paul  has  it^  '  the  Son  also  be  subject 
unto  Him  that  put  all  things  under  him,  that  God  may 
be  all  in  all/ 

V^ni  And  the  desire  of 
riyn''  the  Etemal 

T      : 

n^3  in  his  hand 

t; 

n/5C^  shall  prosper. 

Here  ends  the  second  Section  of  the  prophecy,  in 
which  Isaiah  speaks  in  his  own  name.  It  may  be  trans- 
lated as  follows : 

7.  He  was  oppressed  and  he  was  afflicted, 
Yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth. 

Like  unto  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter  he  was  brought. 
And  like  unto  a  ewe  that  is  dumb  before  her  shearers, 
So  opened  not  he  his  mouth. 

8.  Without  rule  and  without  justice  he  was  taken 
away, 

And  with  his  generation  who  can  argue  ? 
For  he  is  being  cut  off  from  the  land  of  life  ; 
Through   the    transgression   of  the   peoples   affliction 
came  to  him. 

9.  And  one  made  with  the  wicked  his  grave 
And  with  the  proud  he  is  in  his  deaths. 
Although  no  violence  had  he  wrought 

And  no  deceit  had  been  in  his  mouth. 

10.  But  God  was  pleased  in  crushing  him  and  putting 
him  to  grief. 

Not  that  his  life  shall  be  a  guilt-offering  for  himself; 

1  1  Corinth,  xv.  28. 


27 

He  shall  see  a  generation  that  will  live  long 
And   the  desire  of  the  Eternal  shall  prosper  in  his 
hands. 

The  Epilogue  recapitulates  in  the  last  two  verses  the 
Exordium,  the  Confession  of  the  nations  and  kings  of  the 
earth,  and  the  Teaching  of  the  prophet. 

Liii.  11.    /Jbyi^D  Of  the  travail,  i.e.  of  the  sacrifices 

S^b^l  of  his  soul 

nX^^  he  shall  see, 
"I  * 

J^Sb^^  he  shall  he  satisfied,  i.e.  for  his  great  sacrifices  he  shall 

see  great  results. 
i)^y*T^  Bi/  his  piety.     T])J1  and  n/bDHj  are  constantly  given 

in  the  Bible  as  piety, 
p^"^^^  He  shall  justify 

p^*!^  the  righteous  ;  a  collective  singular  as  in  English. 

n^y  My  devoted  one 

0^3*1 7  for  the  many ;  i.  e.  my  devoted  one  shall  make  righteous 

the  many,  the  multitudes,  the  heathen. 

Dn^ij^l  And  as  for  their  iniquities,  i.e.  their  light  sins  (for  there 

is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth 
not^),  these 

^r\  he 

7i3D^  shall  hear. 

LIII.  12.    I^S  Therefore. 

pyHi^  /  will  give  a  portion. 

1  Eccl.  vii.  20. 


28 

p  to  him 

lD^S*!^  among  the  great, 

ty^  and  with 

D^^^^J^  mighty  ones 

p StI^  he  shall  divide 

77^  rich  possession,  i.e.  among  the  benefactors  of  the  world 

T  T 

whether  individuals  as  Abraham,  Moses  and  others,  or 
entire  nations,  as  the  Greeks  to  whom  the  world  owes  art, 
and  the  Romans  to  whom  the  world  is  indebted  for  laws. 
But  his  portion  shall  be  even  greater  than  theirs,  inasmuch 
as  not  only  his  benefits  to  the  human  race,  but  also  his 
personal  risk  and  sacrifices,  are  greater. 

nnri  For 
"^^'^^  that 

n^l)^!!  he  has  laid  hare,  exposed  (com p.  Lev.  xx.  18,  19.) 
T))^/  unto  the  death 

V  T   - 

i^£3^  his  life, 
nXI  and  with 
W)J&B  transgressors 

n^^^  he  was  numbered.     The  commentators,  in  opposing  the 

application  of  this  prophecy  to  The  Prophets,  have  asked  : 
When  were  these  considered  as  transgressors  ?  and  some 
may  ask  me  a  somewhat  similar  question.  I  answer  by  a 
counter- question :  When  were  the  good  not  considered  as 
transgressors  ?  In  the  whole  history  of  mankind  not  a 
single  benefactor  of  our  race  has  escaped  this  reproach. 
Even  when  the  persecutor  himself  did  not  believe  in  his 
victim's  guilt  he  has  always  put  it  forth  as  the  pretext  for 


29 

persecution.  Moses,  Elijah,  Socrates,  Jesus,  Luther  and 
others,  whose  lives  were  immaculate,  are  standing  ex- 
amples. 

i^)n]  Whilst  he 
Nt^n  the  sin  of 
d^Sn  7nany 

Nb'J  forgave.     The  word  K^^  does  not  signify  here  '  bare,'  but 

*  forgave,'  as  the  parallelism  clearly  shews. 
D^y^'£D7*l  -4?ic?  for  the  transgressors 
y^il^^  made  he  intercession. 

These  two  verses  may  be  translated  as  follows  : 

Liii.  11.     Of  the  travail  of  his  soul  he  shall  see 
So  that  he  shall  be  satisfied. 

By  his  piety  shall  my  devoted  one  make  truly  righteous 
the  many 

And  their  iniquities  he  shall  bear. 

12.  Therefore  will  I  give  him  a  portion  among  the 
great 

And  with  mighty  ones  he  shall  divide  riches. 

For  having  exposed  his  life  unto  the  death 

And  for  having  been  numbered  among  the  trans- 
gressors, 

For  having  forgiven  the  sins  of  many  (against  him). 

And  for  having  prayed  for  the  transgressors. 


Mr  Yice-Chancellor  and  Gentlemen,  I  have  now  ex- 
plained and  translated  to  you  this  prophecy,  and  if  you 
read  the  Hebrew  text  and  compare  it  with  my  translation 
and  explanation,  you  will  see  that  it  at  all  events  may  be 
consistently  applied  to  Israel,  as  represented  hy  the  pious  in 
Ms  midst,  culminating  in  the  Messiah. 


so 

As  for  Israel  himself : 

Classical  heathendom  had  no  doubt  some  divine  ideas : 
these  were,  however,  sporadic;  they  had  no  solid  found- 
ation. For  the  gods  of  heathendom  were  powerful  and 
beautiful,  but  they  were  not  holy :  and  without  a  holy 
God  no  virtue  can  lastingly  exist.  The  noble  Founder  of 
Christianity  therefore  rightly  said  to  the  Samaritan  semi- 
heathen  woman  :  '  Salvation  is  of  the  JewsM ' 

As  for  the  pious  in  the  midst  of  Israel : 

I  could  name  hundreds  to  you  of  noble  thought  and 
moral  excellency  whose  names,  if  not  celebrated  in  the 
pages  of  the  world's  history,  are  faithfully  recorded  for,  and 
venerated  by,  the  reader  of  Jewish  literature.  But  what 
need  is  there  to  speak  of  this  before  you,  Christian  scholars  ? 
You  who  surely  estimate  higher  the  bloodless  achieve- 
ments of  the  spirit  than  the  grandest  conquests  of  matter  ? 
who  surely  esteem  more  highly  a  Saint  Paul  than  an 
Alexander  or  a  Napoleon?  a  Saint  Paul  who,  if  little 
and  weak  in  his  body,  was  mighty  and  a  giant  in  spirit  ? 
a  Saint  Paul  who,  if  he  had  no  sword  of  iron,  had  a  '  sword 
of  many  mouths^'  in  his  hand  ? 

And  as  for  the  Messiah,  the  usherer  in  of  the  golden 
age: 

Well !  the  heathen  had  four  ages  of  the  world ',  and 
so  have  we  who  stand  on  God's  revelation.  But,  if  they 
commenced  with  the  Golden  and  finished  with  the  Iron 
age,  we,  on  the  contrary,  commenced  with  the  Iron  and 
finish  with  the  Golden  age.  We  commenced  with  the 
age  of  might  and  we  finish  with  the  age  of  right.  We 
commenced  with  matter  and  we  finish  with  the  spirit: 
we  commenced  with  Satan  and  we  finish  with  God.  And 
as  regards  the  Saviourship  of  Jesus,  what  have  the  Jews 
to  say  ?  I  mean,  of  course,  the  thinking,  the  enlightened 
Jews,  the  Jews  who  have  a  religion  in  their  heart,  the 

1  Job.  iv.  22.  2  Psalm  cxlix.  6. 

^  Ovid,  Metamorph.  i.  89  seqq.;  Juvenal,  Sat.  vi.  1  seqq. 


31 

Jews  whose  religion  does  not  consist  in  the  mere  negation 
of  the  religion  of  their  neighbours  :  do  these  Jews  grudge 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  his  Saviourship  ?  No  !  and  a  thousand 
times  no !  for  how  could  they  do  so  ?  Surely  every  en- 
lightened and  pious  Jew  must  see  and  freely  acknowledge 
that  if  Jesus  is  no  Saviour  of  those  who  do  not  believe  on 
him,  he  is  a  Saviour  of  those  who  do  believe  on  him.  For 
what  were  the  Gentiles  before  the  light  of  Christianity  rose 
upon  them  ?  Chaste  lips  cannot  repeat  what  their  own 
great  authors  write  of  them  and  their  immorality.  No  one 
can  read  without  a  burning  cheek  what  Seneca^  says  of 
their  married  women,  what  JuvenaP  says  of  their  men, 
what  Tacitus*  says  of  their  emperors,  and  what  our  and 
your  Saint  Paul,  the  Jew  and  the  Christian,  says  of  the 
moral  degradation  of  the  Roman  converts  previously*  to 
their  conversion  to  moral  and  glorious  Christianity.  Of 
a  truth !  Jesus  is  a  Saviour  of  the  Gentile  world  °,  seeing 
that  ye,  Gentile  Christians,  are  the  seal  of  his  Saviourship 
in  God  !  May  then  Christianity  yet  bring  many  thousands 
and  millions  of  men  to  Christian  worship,  to  the  worship 
of  the  God  first  recognised  and  taught  by  Israel  to  man- 
kind !  May  Christianity  make  known  to  the  unconverted 
heathen  'the  Unknown  God/  the  Creator  of  heaven  and 
earth,  Him  who  desire th  His  human  creatures  to  be  just 
and  righteous,  and  above  all  holy,  even  as  He  Himself  is 
just,  and  righteous,  and  holy ! 

1  De  Beneficils  iii.  16.  '  Sat.  ii.  '  ^^,j^  passim. 

4  Komans  i.  24,  26,  27. 

s  See  my  Harmony  and  Dis-Harmony  between  Judaism  and  Christianity. 
Two  Sermons,  &c.    Manchester,  1859.    8vo.    pp.  5,  X5. 


Cambridge:  printed  by  c.  j.  clay  and  son,  at  the  university  press. 


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